High school students make devastating discovery while testing water in iconic national park: 'I cried three times'

High school students found a concerning level of microplastics in water samples collected from two remote Grand Teton National Park lakes.

What's happening?

The Jackson Hole News&Guide reported on tests conducted by two San Francisco Bay Area high school students.

The duo collected water samples with a portable pump from eight lakes in Grand Teton National Park. They returned to California to analyze the lakewater with a microscope and spectrometer and found plastic particles in samples from two of the lakes.

Researchers have determined that microplastic particles can enter remote areas by wind or rain. Ski areas are another likely culprit for the contamination.

The National Park Service does not regularly sample for microplastics in water, according to the Jackson Hole News&Guide. Independent research, including the study conducted by the students, is vital to understanding the scope of microplastic pollution.

Why is finding microplastics in lakes so concerning?

Microplastics have been found just about everywhere — in soil, the Arctic Ocean, and freshwater lakes. 

"I don't think you could sample anything and not find plastics anymore," said Janine Brahney, a Utah State University biogeochemist, to Jackson Hole News&Guide. 

"The rate at which we're producing this waste is fast outweighing our ability to control it," she added.

Research into the impact of microplastic pollution on nonmarine aquatic ecosystems is relatively recent. In 2020, Brahney published a study that found between 1,000 and 4,000 tons of plastic, the equivalent of 100 million to 400 million water bottles, in 12 wilderness areas and national parks in the western United States. 

"I'll be honest with you, I gave a talk recently and I cried three times," said Brahney.

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These tiny bits of plastic waste are more than an environmental menace; they also pose a serious hazard to human health. 

When plastic breaks down into tiny fragments, it gets inside food, water, and even the air we breathe. Once inside the human body, microplastics can damage cells and impact immune systems. Studies have shown that microplastics can cause liver complications and reduce blood flow to the brain. Microplastics have even been found in human semen.

Now that microplastics have been found in remote lakes of Grand Teton National Park, it shows just how widespread the problem has become.

What's being done about microplastic pollution?

Strides are being made to combat the proliferation of microplastics in the environment. 

Filmmakers are documenting the impact of plastic pollution on the Great Lakes, helping bring wider attention to the issue.

Researchers are developing new filters for drinking water and a powder additive that can be dissolved in water to remove microplastics. A startup is developing a filtration system for household laundry wastewater to capture plastic microfibers before they can pollute waterways.

On an individual level, ensuring plastic products are properly recycled and reducing plastic use can prevent contributing to the growing scourge of microplastic pollution.

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